Search - Mogwai :: Hawk Is Howling

Amazing Soundscapes and Heavy Metal Combine

Jeffrey A. Lunt | 09/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For the uninitiated, Mogwai is one of the most popular (and most talented) "post-rock" bands in the world. They have been rocking and rolling for almost ten years and their albums stand as monuments to post-rock music. What is post-rock you ask? I don't know exactly...but I know I enjoy most music labeled as "post-rock."



"The Hawk is Howling" is another fine addition to the Mogwai catalog. Like every Mogwai release, the music captures many different emotions and sentiments.



The track sequencing is superb. (Listen to every track from the beginning to the end.) The album features both soft, meandering guitar pieces and loud, furious guitar pieces. The soft tracks and the loud tracks work together to create a unique experience.



The opening track, "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead," is gentle and melancholic and then it soars upward in volume and intensity.



Track two, "Batcat," explodes with layered, heavy guitars.



The next track, "Danphe and the Brain," is breathtaking (for lack of a better word). (Turn up the volume and soak it up.)



The next several tracks, "Local Authority," "The Sun Smells Too Loud," and "King's Meadow" are all flawless.



Track seven, "I Love You, I'm Going to Blow Up Your School," is gloomy and ominous, but perhaps the most thought-provoking track on the album.



Tracks eight and nine, "Scotland's Shame" and "Thank You Space Expert," are gentle, but more uplifting and positive.



And the final track, track ten, "The Precipice," builds to a fantastic and conclusive finish.



(Several B-Sides, not included on this version, are circulating throughout the internet; they are awesome too! But DO NOT download this album. Show some respect for the artistry and the artists.)



If you love post-rock music or music that never receives radio airtime, consider "The Hawk is Howling" from Mogwai. It's different; it's fresh.



Keep on rockin' and rollin'! Bring Mogwai home; order this album today."